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Following a rescue mission this past October in which 47 puppies were obtained from a Romanian truck driver's vehicle at the Austrian border in Burgenland, the animal rescue shelter Sonnenhof has announced that they are officially ready to be adopted.

The truck driver's smuggling activity belongs to an ongoing tradition of illegal animal hawking in which domestic animals are transported under poor, unregulated conditions from Eastern Europe to be sold throughout the country. The animal rights organization Four Paws (Vier Pfoten) has caught many culprits over the years and are one of many operations keeping watch over and vetting online listings advertising the sale of animals. In 2014, they even called for an explicit prohibition of online trading in animals.

Only registered breeders or traders are allowed to sell animals under Austrian law, along with animal welfare organizations. However the enforcement of this law on the Internet has proved difficult, and websites are not obliged to check all of their listings.

As an accredited and reliable host for adoptable animals located in Burgendland, Sonnenhof is currently awaiting all interested parties to visit the eager pups in the hopes of finding them a home. The shelter can be reached under +43 2687/48149 and more info can be found at sonnentiere.at.